Midrand - This attitudinous special-edition i8 is the Protonic Frozen Black Edition, in a special satin black paint finish with metallic grey highlights, and just 12 have been allocated to South Africa.

It rolls on special 20 inch W-spoked rims and comes with exclusive interior trim including dark Neso seats with woven dark grey and yellow stitching, embossed BMW i8 logos on the head restraints, grey seat belts, floor-mats with black leather piping and yellow highlights, special door sills with aluminium insets and Edition lettering, and and black ceramic gear shift lever and central control unit.

All of which will cost you R2 163 300 - R145 000 more than the ‘standard’ i8.

And if that’s not exclusive enough for you, exactly three of the i8 Protonic Frozen Yellow Edition will be released in South Africa in December - to be followed in 2018 by a somewhat larger number of i8 Roadsters.

All Protonic special-edition i8 models are mechanically standard, with a 170kW three-cylinder turbopetrol three driving the rear wheels and a 96kW electric motor driving the front wheels, powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be charged either from a conventional wall socket or by the combustion engine. Either way, you get up to 37km of pure electric driving at up 120km/h.